6/26/12 MSU Extension 

# Photoperiod sensitive sorghuiD for bioenergy Photoperiod sensitive sorghum is 

## a high-yielding annual crop that shows potentialforethanolproduction.

a 6 

### n, Michigan State University Extension Sorghum is a close relative of corn and has similar growth habits. Sorghum is an annual crop that has been used as an emergency livestock feed, particularly when forage supplies are tight. The United States produces 7.2 million acres of grain and forage sorghum annually. Typically, sorghum will complete its life cycle in one growing season starting with planting seed, then vegetative growth, follov.ed by reproductive growth where a seed is produced in the tassel and is ready for harvest by fall. Photoperiod sensitive (PS) sorghum is derived from breeding t'M:> photoperiod insensitive lines by using specific genetic combinations. The benefit of developing the photoperiod sensitive line is that is remains in vegetative production for most of the growing season rather than diverting to reproduction, resulting in higher biomass yields. Photoperiod sensitive sorghum will not initiate floral development until the photoperiod is less than 12 hours and 20 minutes per day. From Table 1, on July 1 in Lansing, the sunrise is at 6:04AM and the sunset is 9:20 PM- that is a photoperiod of 15:16. The day length on September 19 is 12:19. For Lansing, floral development 'M>Uidn't occur until September 19. This provides much more time for vegetative growth. 

### Table 1. 

### Daylength for Lansingby 

### date. Note that the days get shorter as the growing season progresses. Photoperiod sensitive sorghum will not flower until after September 19, 

### providingfor a longer season for vegetative growth, resulting in higherbiomass yields.

Date Sunrise Sunset Day (AM) 

### (PM) length (h:mm)
1-Jul 6:04 9:20 15:16 1-Aug 6:30 8:59 14:29 1-Sep 7:03 8:13 13:10 19-Sep 7:22 7:41 12:19 You can find out the day length for your location by going to the Astronomical Applications Department msue.anr.msu.edutnewslphotoperiod_sensitive_sorghum_for_bioenergy/ 113Me/12 

# Produdion Photoperiod sensitive sorghum is planted and ma.naged aimilat to com. Pllotoperiod senlilive IIOfghum elloukl 

### be planted on 30-inch 

### rows with populationaof60,000 to 100,000 planta 

### per acre. Fef!Aze Will 100 pounds af nilrooen per acre and base P and K applicationaon aoilteat reaulla. SOI'ghum tenda to be more droughttolerant than com and can 

### be planted on ightet, sandy eoila. Plant into 

### aoil moieture up to 2 inches deap. COOl soilS slowemergence and can promote disease d&li elllfHl*!l. control weedaWill pte emergence herbicides sucl! as atrazine or metoldllor. There are no optiona fot poat-ernergence control fOI' gre.I8M. 

## Yield Photoperiod aensnl\re sorghum WI1S one orthe top )'telders In 201

# oreseerd! plots at tile Kelogg Biological Station Great Lakes BIOenergy 

### Researd! Plots. Pllotopertod sen81tt\/e SOI'ghum produced 8.5 tons afdry matter per acre, the aecond highest )'teldlng 

### Y81tety. Energy SOI'ghum produced 10.9tons ordry matter, lnctudlllG the 

### seed. Energy sorghum Is photoperiod lnsen81tt\/e and produces a mature 

### seed head. Typlealy, this 

### seed would 

### be ha.nrested ror grain, \loltllllle remainder to be used as biomass rot celkllosle elllanol. Photoperiod sensnl\re sorghum reached a height or 15 reetln2010. Not.lllat PS SOI'ghum produced a**~d** almost double that orS'Michgre.ss and rmcantllus. 

### Tablea.Yield of four 110rzbamwrieties, sw:itchgra.u andmi.....,nthu.s inao:toatthe Kellog

### BiologicalStation.DltacamefromraDdomized completeblockdesign'With 

### fourreplicatiODB. Eaergy110rzbamyieldincludedthe grain.

### Thisisdatafrom one pow:iDg

### seasoD.Itisrecommeadedthat multi.·yar

### data be u.sed 

### wheam•lring plantingdecisiODB. 12.0 l0.9a 10.0


# ..**~** u <( 8
.0**~** 

# .. ;: 

# .. 6.0 ::iE i:" 0 

### "'

## ~ 4.0 2.0 0
.0 Sweet Forage PS Sorghum Energy Switchgrass Miscanthus Sorghum Sorghum Sorghum 

## Referenees6/26/12 MSU Extension National Agriculture Statistics Service, 2007 Census of Agriculture, "Table 33. Specified Crops by Acres Harvested: 2007 and 2002". Rooney, W. L., J. Blumenthal, et al. {2007). "Designing sorghum as a dedicated bioenergy feedstock." Biofuels Bioproducts & Biorefining-Biofpr 1{2): 147-157.

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.. l..,.rl MSU ExtensionChttp://www.msue.msu.edul 

### or more information, visit 

### http://www.msue.msu.edu Chttp://www.msue.msu.edul

---- --- -- 

## --r-- in your area, visit 

### http://expert.msue.msu.edu Chttp://expert.msue.msu.edul 

### r call888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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